PLUS Model Mag Promotes Size Acceptance, But Are Their Photos Really Body Positive?

Recently, Plus Model Magazine ran a photo spread of a “plus” (size 12) model holding another woman, who is a “standard” size for modeling.  The photos are fascinating on their own, but this article takes a critical look at how even the “plus” size model’s body is unrealistic and that the original magazine article promotes the idea that all slender women are unhealthy and anorexic.

Ashley Judd Slaps Media in the Face for Speculation Over Her ‘Puffy’ Appearance

POWERFUL article from actress Ashley Judd in reaction to media outlets reporting on her weight gain and supposed plastic surgery.  From the article:

If this conversation about me is going to be had, I will do my part to insist that it is a feminist one, because it has been misogynistic from the start. Who makes the fantastic leap from being sick, or gaining some weight over the winter, to a conclusion of plastic surgery? Our culture, that’s who. The insanity has to stop, because as focused on me as it appears to have been, it is about all girls and women. In fact, it’s about boys and men, too, who are equally objectified and ridiculed, according to heteronormative definitions of masculinity that deny the full and dynamic range of their personhood. It affects each and every one of us, in multiple and nefarious ways: our self-image, how we show up in our relationships and at work, our sense of our worth, value, and potential as human beings. Join in—and help change—the Conversation.

Sex, lies and media: New wave of activists challenge notions of beauty

Click here for an interesting article about activists challenging unhealthy norms of physical appearance for women and men through documentaries and social media. From the article:

Here’s the fantasy: A half-naked woman lies across a couch, lips pouty and cleavage prominent as her sultry gaze implores you to buy this bottle of perfume.

The reality: Women make up 51% of the United States yet only 17% of seats in the House of Representatives. They’re 3% of Fortune 500 CEOs and 7% of directors in the top 250 grossing films.

 What’s the connection? We live in a sexualized society where the gap between fantasy and reality is vast and harmful.

‘Fatshion’ bloggers find beauty in all sizes

Click here to read how bloggers are redefining beauty and clothing style to move beyond a thin ideal to promote acceptance of a variety of sizes.  From the article:

And it’s worth it to Dee to keep putting herself out there in such a public way, no matter the challenges. While it’s empowering to look beautiful on the outside, “Life is too short to be hung up on appearance,” she says.

“At the end of the day, its just your outer shell — there’s a whole personality underneath that’s just waiting to shine. And even if you don’t realize how beautiful you are, someone else is out there who thinks you are the most beautiful person in the world.”